Golfdom, February 2015
Super Science Man vs aBW Dont fall behind in annual bluegrass weevil management Why first generation control is critical in winning the weevil battle By Ben McGraw Ph D T he annual bluegrass weevil ABW or Hyperodes weevil Listronotus maculicollis formerly Hyperodes maculicollis is a severe problem on many golf courses in the northeastern and mid Atlantic United States and eastern Canada ABW is intensely managed with insecticides to prevent larval feeding damage to greens collars fairways and tees Problems arise when early season insecticide applications are poorly timed leading some to make multiple insecticide applications at regular intervals to keep populations in check Understanding how ABW populations overwintering adults first generation larvae develop in spring is critical to getting the most out of controls and reducing the need for future applications ABW have between one to three generations per year depending on the region Te frst generation larvae are the offspring of adults that spent the winter in an arrested state in leaf litter in wood lines and tall grasses surrounding the playing surfaces Each year the overwintering adults walk onto the short mown areas where mated females seek hosts Poa annua and creeping bentgrass turf to place eggs If lef uncontrolled females will deposit eggs underneath the plants sheath Te larvae develop and feed inside the plant through the first three instars Older larvae fourth and fifth instars become too large for the plant and exit to feed externally on stems and crowns These stages can cause signifcant damage in a relatively short 46 Golfdom February 2015 Golfdom com photos coURtEsY oF BEn McGRaw fiGure 1 A recently emerged overwintering annual bluegrass weevil adult fiGure 2 Annual bluegrass weevil females place their eggs between the sheath and the stem of the plant where they are well protected from predators The eggs change color from yellow top egg to black bottom three as they become closer to hatching
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